Commissioner for Oaths

A Commissioner for Oaths is a person who is authorised to swear Affidavits, which are statements in writing and on oath, and other legal documents.

Essentially, a Commissioner for Oaths will:

establish that the person before him/her has read the draft affidavit and fully understands the contents

require the person to swear that the affidavit is true by raising the appropriate Holy Book in his/her right hand and repeating the words of the oath

verify that the affidavit was properly sworn by completing a “jurat” on the affidavit

Oaths and Affirmations

A person making an oath will be required to swear the oath by raising the relevant Holy Book. The oath to be taken by persons before the Commissioner for Oaths is:

“I, A.B., swear by Almighty God that this is my name and handwriting, and that the contents of this affidavit are true”.

A person who has no religious belief is permitted to make a solemn affirmation, as follows:

“I, A.B., do solemnly and sincerely affirm that this is my name and handwriting, and that the contents of this affidavit are true”.

A Commissioner for Oaths work mostly involves:

Swearing Affidavits

Statutory Declarations

Certifying a document to be a true copy of the original

You will have to attend in person with the document and bring with you a valid form of photo ID (usually passport or driver’s license) and a utility bill or other proof of address not less than 3 months old. If documents are being certified as true copies of originals, you will need to bring the original with you also.

The cost of a Commissioner for Oaths service is set by Statute. It is €10 to swear an Affidavit a document and €2 per exhibit. It is €10 to certify a document to be a true copy.